Welcome to Top Sports News

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Editor's note: Over the coming days TopSports.news will take a look at all 10 Washburn University women's and men's finalists for the 2025-2026 school year, followed by the Ichabod athletes of the year. 

Jack Bachelor, Washburn University [File photo/TSN]

JACK BACHELOR | Basketball

The former Washburn Rural star has started 76 consecutive games and 78 of 97 as an Ichabod, averaging 13.6 points for his career. Bachelor ranks 14th on Washburn's career scoring chart with 1,319 points, third in career assists (455), sixth all-time in steals (143) and seventh in career 3-pointers (207). Bachelor is a two-time first-team all-MIAA and NABC all-district selection. He averaged 15.5 points while hitting 95 3-pointers and dishing out 151 assists as a junior. Bachelor was named the MIAA Tournament most valuable player with games of 24, 27 and 14 points while also dishing out 22 assists.

Dillon Claussen, Washburn University [File photo/TSN]

DILLON CLAUSSEN | Basketball

Claussen played in 64 games with 29 starts for WU, averaging 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds, adding 68 blocks and 55 steals. Claussen ranks No. 3 all-time at Washburn in career field goal percentage at .641. Led the Ichabods in scoring with a 15.6-point average last season, earning first-team NABC All-District, and All-MIAA honors. Claussen scored a career-high 27 points at Nebraska-Kearney hitting 11 of 16 shots including 3 of 5 3-pointers and adding eight rebounds.

Justin Forde, Washburn University [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
JUSTIN FORDE | Track and field 

Forde was the 2026 NCAA Indoor national champion in the triple jump and finished third in the NCAA Outdoor championships. Forde was a three-time MIAA individual champion in the triple jump, winning two outdoor titles and one indoor title. Forde was a three-time all-region selection and is Washburn's school record- holder in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump. A Norwalk, Conn. native, Forde became Washburn's first NCAA individual champion when he won the indoor triple jump at 16.29 meters (53 feet, 5.50 inches.). Forde jumped a school-record 54-07.25 outdoors.

Jacob Fratzel, Washburn University [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

JACOB FRATZEL | Golf

The former St. James Academy star was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year and was a PING All-Region and first-team All-MIAA pick after leading the Ichabods with a 72.5 stroke average in 34 rounds. Fratzel posted six top-10 finishes, including one top-five placing. He recorded 14 rounds under par and finished in a tie for 18th at the NCAA National Championship with a 5-under 211. 

Kamble Haverkamp, Washburn University [File photo/TSN]

KAMBLE HAVERKAMP | Football

The Centralia product was an All-MIAA first-team selection as a senior, while also being named second-team All-Region. Haverkamp was a four-year member of the Ichabods, playing in 28 games and recording 109 tackles. Haverkamp started all 11 games at safety, recording 76 tackles with 56 solo stops. He registered11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Editor's note: Over the coming days TopSports.news will take a look at all 10 Washburn University women's and men's finalists for the 2025-2026 school year, followed by the Ichabod athletes of the year.

Austin Broadie, Washburn University [File photo/TSN] 

AUSTIN BROADIE | Volleyball

A 6-foot middle hitter, Broadie was a first-team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American and named the MIAA Player of the Year as a senior after helping lead Washburn to a 27-5 record, a share of the MIAA regular-season title (13-3) and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A Wichita Trinity product Broadie recorded 348 kills with a high of 25 and 17 matches with 10 or more kills. 

Lexie Fontaine, Washburn University [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]  

LEXIE FONTAINE | Track and field

A native of Lockport, Ill., Fontaine was a two-time NCAA All-American outdoors this past spring, placing sixth in the 1,500 meters and eighth in the 800. Fontaine also earned All-American honors indoors, finishing sixth in the 800. Fontaine is the Washburn school record-holder in the indoor and outdoor 800 and 1,500 and was an MIAA champion both indoors and outdoor.  

Susana Granados Carrion, Washburn University [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics] 

SUSANA GRANADOS CARRION | Golf 

Granados Carrion, a native of Cordoba, Spain, led Washburn with a team-low 75.00 round average as a junior, earning first-team All-MIAA recognition. Granados Carrion posted six top-five individual finishes on the season and recorded a team low round of 70. 

Leah Henke, Washburn University [File photo/TSN]

LEAH HENKE | Soccer 

Henke, a Bishop Carroll product, was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year last fall while also being named to the All-MIAA and All-Region first team after helping lead Washburn (14-4-6 overall, 8-0-4 conference) to the national semifinals in the NCAA Tournament. Henke scored 12 goals on the season, the second most goals by a freshman in school history. 

Belle Kennedy, Washburn University [File photo/TSN] 

BELLE KENNEDY | Soccer

The former Washburn Rural star earned first-team NCAA All-America and NCAA All-Tournament honors and was named the MIAA defensive player of the year in her final collegiate season. An All-Central Regional pick, Kennedy, named to the All-MIAA first team three times, helped lead the Ichabods to a 14-4-6 overall record and an 8-0-4 MIAA mark.

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Details

Created: 30 June 2026

By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news

The international element of the Darting Basketball Academy has made big progress over its first two years and is set to take another huge step this summer.

The program numbers more than doubled last summer from Year 1, while also including female athletes for the first time, and a whopping 80 athletes are set to arrive in the area this week.

"We'll have 72 boys and eight girls,'' Darting said. "We'll have seven teams. We'll have three teams that are here to just kind of experience basketball and have fun and then we'll have teams that their objective in coming here is to stay in the states and go to prep school or college.''

 

The international players, competing as College Star International under the DBA umbrella, will take part in a showcase event at Shawnee Heights on Tuesday, July 7, in front of some 50 coaches.

The showcase will include a 6:30 p.m. game between the top international players and a group of local all-stars.

"We have 45 coaches confirmed, prep school and college, and I think we'll probably have more than that,'' Darting said. "That's what the kids are coming here for is to have college coaches to be here watching them, so to have 45 coaches coming to Topeka, Kansas, that's big.''     

Following the Shawnee Heights showcase, the international contingent will compete in tournaments in Omaha, Kansas City and Chicago.

The international players are staying in dorms on the University of Kansas campus and training in Lawrence and at Shawnee Heights.

 

The international program has brought in athletes from Australia, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Norway, Turkey, Germany and Sweden since it launched in 2024.

"The recruiting process is way more streamlined now,'' Darting said. "We've been going overseas in the winter and doing camps and you're making a lot more connections over there, so we're getting more kids.

"We go all over and this year we went to Turkey, Italy, Germany and Lithuania. The numbers are obviously way, way bigger but also the quality of players is getting quite a bit better as well.''